Tennessee to execute Christa Pike, first woman in 200 years

Tennessee plans to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection on Wednesday, marking the state's first execution of a woman in more than 200 years. Pike, now 50, was 18 when she and her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp tortured and killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer at a Knoxville Job Corps center in 1995.

Prosecutors said Pike lured Slemmer to a secluded area out of jealousy, believing Slemmer was a romantic rival. The case drew national attention after a satanic symbol was found carved into the victim's chest and Pike showed a piece of the skull to peers.

“I was a mentally ill 18-year-old kid. It took me numerous years to even realise the gravity of what I'd done.”

Pike was sentenced to death in 1996, while Shipp, then 17, received life with parole eligibility. Pike does not deny guilt, but her attorneys filed a 226-page clemency petition citing severe childhood sexual abuse, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.

Governor Bill Lee announced Monday he would not grant clemency after deliberate review. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to stay the execution less than a day before the scheduled time.

Pike has refused a last meal, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. Slemmer's mother supports the execution, saying she has waited decades for the sentence to be carried out.